The Dresden Files
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is the protagonist in Jim
Butcher's 'Dresden Files' series. Mind, body, and spirit abound in this
series. First, there are three societies - The Never Never (faerie world), The Down Below (demon world), and The Mundane (human world). I
have not read enough of the series to place these concretely, but my
initial impression is they are the spirit, mind, and body societies,
respectively.
Harry Dresden is a wizard, and his magic is deeply rooted in mind, body, and spirit concepts. His potions for example contain eight parts. The first is a liquid that acts to bind all the other components together. Five ingredients represent the five senses (the body). One ingredient represents the mind, and the final ingredient represents the spirit.
Spells also have a mind, body and spirit component. And, as usual, there are three primary characters. I have only read the first two books in the series, and as I've shown before, things can change as a series progresses, but here's what I have so far.
Bob is a spirit who lives in a skull in Harry Dresden's lab, but he's not a spirit character. He is a talking encyclopedia, helping Harry with spells and potions, but he is not a mind character.
What defines Bob is his desire to get out and wreak havoc. Bob is kept under some kind of control by Harry and must request a 'pass' to go out and enjoy The Mundane. When he was especially helpful once, Harry let him out on a 24 hour pass. Bob incited an orgy at a local university.
His conversations with Harry are infused with double entendre, sarcasm, and blatant sexual references. Harry often has to redirect the conversation to get Bob back on track. Despite being a know-it-all spirit with no physical presence other than the skull in which he lives, Bob is decidedly a body character.
The police, as a general population, are mind characters. Spirit characters in the police population are generally exceptions to the rule. Murph is not an exception. She has difficulty trusting anyone without some kind of proof that they are trustworthy. She doesn't work on hunches, either. Everything must be proven.
This fact creates tension in her relationship with Harry. When she sees connections between Harry and the crimes they are investigating, she begins to suspect him. His past helpfulness never enters her calculations. She doesn't care that he is helpful and kind to her, just that the facts point to Harry.
Harry is the only practicing wizard in Chicago. He uses magic, but carries a gun, just in case. He operates off hunches and incomplete information. He is also impulsive, often questioning his own judgment once he gets into the thick of things.
Harry has a healthy respect for dark magic and avoids it. He will always try to choose what is right over what is expedient or what is smart. In one scene, he is unconscious and has a conversation with a physical representation of his subconscious self in order to figure things out. Knowing the things he knows, interacting with The Never Never and The Down Below, he is more concerned with what feels right than what makes sense.
Harry Dresden is a wizard, and his magic is deeply rooted in mind, body, and spirit concepts. His potions for example contain eight parts. The first is a liquid that acts to bind all the other components together. Five ingredients represent the five senses (the body). One ingredient represents the mind, and the final ingredient represents the spirit.
Spells also have a mind, body and spirit component. And, as usual, there are three primary characters. I have only read the first two books in the series, and as I've shown before, things can change as a series progresses, but here's what I have so far.
The Body Character: Bob
Bob is a spirit who lives in a skull in Harry Dresden's lab, but he's not a spirit character. He is a talking encyclopedia, helping Harry with spells and potions, but he is not a mind character.
What defines Bob is his desire to get out and wreak havoc. Bob is kept under some kind of control by Harry and must request a 'pass' to go out and enjoy The Mundane. When he was especially helpful once, Harry let him out on a 24 hour pass. Bob incited an orgy at a local university.
His conversations with Harry are infused with double entendre, sarcasm, and blatant sexual references. Harry often has to redirect the conversation to get Bob back on track. Despite being a know-it-all spirit with no physical presence other than the skull in which he lives, Bob is decidedly a body character.
The Mind Character: Connie Murphy
The police, as a general population, are mind characters. Spirit characters in the police population are generally exceptions to the rule. Murph is not an exception. She has difficulty trusting anyone without some kind of proof that they are trustworthy. She doesn't work on hunches, either. Everything must be proven.
This fact creates tension in her relationship with Harry. When she sees connections between Harry and the crimes they are investigating, she begins to suspect him. His past helpfulness never enters her calculations. She doesn't care that he is helpful and kind to her, just that the facts point to Harry.
The Spirit Character: Harry Dresden
Harry is the only practicing wizard in Chicago. He uses magic, but carries a gun, just in case. He operates off hunches and incomplete information. He is also impulsive, often questioning his own judgment once he gets into the thick of things.
Harry has a healthy respect for dark magic and avoids it. He will always try to choose what is right over what is expedient or what is smart. In one scene, he is unconscious and has a conversation with a physical representation of his subconscious self in order to figure things out. Knowing the things he knows, interacting with The Never Never and The Down Below, he is more concerned with what feels right than what makes sense.
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